Crimes Nearby, Part 2: Bar Shooting Arrest, Multiple Robberies

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Island Park Man Charged in Bar Shooting

An Island Park man was charged with shooting a Long Beach man in an incident outside a restaurant-bar last weekend.

According to Nassau County Police Department, Angel Martinez, 47, was at Costa Del Sol Restaurant and Bar, at 4547 Austin Blvd. in Island Park, when he allegedly approached the victim, a 36-year-old Long Beach man, and asked him to step outside at about 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 12. 

Once outside, Martinez allegedly shot the victim in the abdomen and fled the scene, police said. At about noon on Jan. 13, a male subject called the Long Beach Police Department to report that his friend was shot and was staying at his residence in Long Beach. When police officers arrived at the victim’s house, the victim told them he was shot at a restaurant-bar in Island Park and then walked home, the LBPD said. 

The victim was taken to South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, where he is listed in stable condition with a non-life threatening injury.

On Jan. 15, Fourth Squad detectives along with Nassau County Bureau of Special Operations responded to 313 Merritt Ave. in Wyandanch and placed Martinez under arrest without incident.

Pair of Robbers Flee After Failing to Open Register

Two men, one armed with a handgun, attempted to rob a Valley Stream convenience store last Tuesday but fled after they failed to open the register, police said.

On Jan. 15 at 2:42 p.m., the two male suspects — described as black, in their mid 20s, with one wearing a North Face bubble jacket and gray pants — approached a 26-year-old clerk in Al Mini Market, located at 91 Ocean Ave.

One of the suspects took out a handgun and demanded money. The other suspect then attempted to open the register, but was unsuccessful. The men then fled on foot westbound on 131st Avenue into Queens without any proceeds. 

Two other employees were in the store at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported.

Another pair of women were arrested in West Hempstead last Tuesday for practicing unlicensed massage therapy and offering to perform sex acts in exchange for money.

An undercover investigation by Nassau County Police's Narcotics/Vice Bureau determined that Yan Hua Deng, 48, and Sujuan Wu, 52, both of Flushing, allegedly practiced massage therapy without a license while working at Shunyuan Spa Inc. located at 357 Hempstead Tpke., Suite 203. Yan Hua Deng also offered to engage in a sexual act for an undisclosed amount of money, according to detectives.

East Rockaway Cards Store Robbed

An East Rockaway gift store was robbed at gunpoint last Tuesday by a masked man with a gun, according to police.

On Jan 15 at 11:18 a.m., the 56-year-old male victim was alone in Card Corner, located at 93 Main St., when the suspect entered the store, took out a black handgun and demanded money. The suspect fled on foot southbound on Rhame Avenue with an unknown amount of cash. No injuries were reported.

The suspect is described as a 6-foot-tall white man with a slim build and wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt covering his head, a white scarf over his face, dark pants and a blue and white baseball cap.

DA: Charges Upgraded Against Drunk Motorist Who Dragged Teen

A grand jury has upgraded charges against German Gutierrez for driving drunk, hitting a 15-year-old girl crossing the street, and dragging her for 600 feet, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced on Jan. 14.

The indictment charges Gutierrez, 59, of Long Beach, with first- and second-degree assault, first-degree vehicular assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, aggravated driving while intoxicated and misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. These are added to the original charges of second-degree vehicular assault, leaving the scene of an accident with serious physical injury, and misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. Gutierrez faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted and is due back in court Feb. 7.

Gutierrez told officers at the scene that he had consumed “like, a thousand drinks” and hadn’t technically killed anyone, Rice said. He registered a blood-alcohol content reading of .30 percent five hours later.

Teens Arrested for Robbing Phone

Three Rosedale teens were arrested in Valley Stream on Jan. 12 after they allegedly shoved another teen and stole his phone, police said.

At 5:02 p.m., the 15-year-old victim and his friend, also 15, were leaving Forest Road School at 16 Forest Rd. when they were approached by Deyandre Bartley 17, Daniel Smith 18, and Aaron Benton, 17.

Smith asked the victim what time it was, and as the victim removed his phone from his pocket, Bartley allegedly shoved him to the ground and grabbed the phone from his hand.

The three teens then fled on foot, but were located on Furth Road a short time later and arrested by Fourth Precinct police officers. The victim’s phone was recovered. The victim suffered minor injuries.

All three defendants are charged with second-degree robbery.

Police are searching for a suspect who beat and robbed a 24-year-old woman on Hempstead Turnpike in West Hempstead on Jan. 11.

According to detectives, around 6:55 p.m., the victim was walking eastbound on Hempstead Turnpike when an unknown suspect demanded money while squeezing her arm.

The suspect then pushed the victim up against the store front window of AMA Furniture Warehouse, located at 130 Hempstead Turnpike, and began hitting her in the head and punching her in the back, police said. He then went through the victim's coat pockets and removed an undetermined amount of cash.

Police said the suspect, described as a 35-year-old Hispanic male, left the scene on foot, heading westbound on Hempstead Turnpike.

Detectives ask anyone with information about these crimes to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.